Josie Totah of ‘Champions’ announces she is transgender

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Josie Totah, who is the lead actor in Indian-American Mindy Kaling’s sitcom series “Champions” on NBC, has come out as transgender.

Throughout her career, the 17-year-old always wanted to play different types of roles than the typical ones, according to a report in Variety magazine.

“When I was on the show ‘Glee,’ I’d stand back and watch Lea Michele. She was fabulous. And it was fun to see her and the other girls wear dresses and put on lavish musical numbers. But it was also hard, because I wanted that to be me,” Totah wrote in an essay for Time.

In the essay, Totah goes on to say how she was deemed to be a gay man because she wanted to wear only dresses as a child.

Kaling tweeted her support saying, “I’m so glad you’re able to speak your truth and live as your authentic self.”

Totah kept her identity hidden at first but says she knew how unhealthy it was. So she was ready to be free now even though she continues to fear the kind of judgment she will receive, according to the Variety report.

Totah is now set to attend college and she is planning to audition for female roles for future acting opportunities, she told Variety.